


The Black little book: How tugarin and the dead-man were seeking for Kashchei… PART 3

by Leo_Mercutio



Series: NOTepic [3]
Category: Slavic Mythology & Folklore
Genre: Folklore, Gen, Russian Mythology, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25490206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leo_Mercutio/pseuds/Leo_Mercutio
Summary: …Young nomad tsar dream about a revenge, about the real power and about new life for his people.…Not so young upir dream only about revenge.…In a faraway land the black god, immortal necromancer is sleeping and dream to be awaken.
Series: NOTepic [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1530398
Comments: 2
Kudos: 1





	The Black little book: How tugarin and the dead-man were seeking for Kashchei… PART 3

IN A WORLD OF KASHCHEI

Gorizvet opened stone coffin’s cooper top and looked at Terekey.  
“Greetings to you, tsar Terekey Kalinovich!”  
“And so greetings to you, Gorizvet! By the way, you named me noble murza by yourself. But who could say what do you need?”  
Terekey rose up from the coffin and saw where they are. They in the black valley and there are a lot, a lot of coffins around. Smells like rotten raw moor. Mist flows around, shimmering.  
Mist is shimmering, the clouds full of gloom shining and that all of the light here. No Moon, nor stars above at the empty sky.  
The path goes out of this dead valley right to the rocks. Tugarin and upir went there by that path.  
So they going and going, step by step and echo of their steps is the only sound could be heard here.  
No any spring, grass, nor moss on this dead stones.  
Terekey is going and thinking: only not to fall back right to black empty sky.  
“What would you say, Gorizvet, where we are now?”  
“And what do you think, tugarian tsar?”  
“I don’t know what to think. There, at Grandmother’s house… it was clear where we are. But here. Is it lands of the dead? Or is it the dead land?..”  
“Well… I think so too, Terekey Kalinovich. People say our world has come out from the splitted egg. But if it’s true, then someone laid that egg. And then there could be not only one egg, right? So I think it is really dead world. Stars and Sun had burned out, Moon turned to dust. The land was the Mother, now it’s the dead one, which can’t give any birth… We’re stepping by bones. And there was the time, may be, this world was just like our…”  
Terekey listening and murmuring:  
“Or this egg could be just rotten since a beginning…”  
No one of them could say for sure how long were the walk. It seems like no time was in that world. All of his time ran out.  
At last rocks were over but the stone path continued. Through the black moor. There were a footprints and trails on that path, but across it, just like someone came out of it and then went down again on the other side.  
And the path goes to black palace. May be palace made of black stone, may be of wood which turned into stone.  
Towers are splitted, stairs are squinted, roof turned thin. Only in palace’s deep heart something is still alive, a little fire is still burning there…  
Tugarin and upir came right to the doors. There are no doors, only the hole had left. Welcome, dear guest, if you would dare!  
And behind the hole, inside the hole the darkness is moving slowly.  
And then was the long way through the gallery and then was the waste gloomy hall…  
Tiny fires are going to fade, to die in their lamps on chains. And in the middle of the hall stands huge coffin.  
“This is the first coffin of the Immortal Tsar”, Gorizvet said.  
“And how we’ll remove the lid? We have no strength for this.”  
“You have no strength for this. But I am dead for a long time…”  
So Gorizvet took off his fine caftan, came closer to the coffin, choose the corner of a lid and began to push. Pushing and pushing, and a lid moved for a little. Gorizvet took a rest, held his breath and continued…  
At the meantime Terekey was walking around the hall, looking around.  
All walls around are covered by deep carven pattern like rows and rows of ugly beast-looking creatures. And stone plates are along the walls: armor, equipment and bones on each of them. More and more ancient. On the last plate there are only dust and the bowl of huge skull.  
It must be bones of the true servants of Immortal Tsar, the black god, Terekey thinking.  
At that moment Gorizvet tore out the lid from the coffin and the lid fell down to the floor with a horrible noise. Hole palace had shivered, the moor had shivered and the sky. And the creatures had fallen from out of walls.  
“Hey, tugarian tsar!” Gorizvet calling. “Give me a hand!”  
Together they began to push the second coffin’s lid made of oak. They are pushing and hearing crack and rustle from around.  
At last the oak lid had fallen to the floor. And pinned down a small creature. Squealing, it got out from out a lid and crawled to the dark corner.  
But from the corners, from the shadows of the hall other things and creatures are coming and crawling. That wasn’t a cavern pattern, that was the sleeping flock. Now the flock is awake and getting around, stretching their bodies, shaking the dust of centuries off.  
Half-human half-beasts, made of many pieces of flesh. Small, big, giant! Someone has a long hands of three joints, someone has a two heads and four legs… But this one is probably just two stuck together?.. Someone has naked jaws, someone has the beak, someone has huge horns.  
And all of them are coming around to the coffin of the black god.  
“Just look at them, tugarin!” Gorizvet cried joyfully. “They are feel their master’s coming back…”  
The third coffin hadn’t the lid. Third coffin whole was the ice boulder.  
Gorizvet bended his knee and touched the ice. Stone in the signet were pulsing as a little cold heart…  
Gorizvet commanded:  
“Awake! Your time has come. I’ve come here for you! I will lead you to the world. There a lot of servants waits for you, there is your army!”  
The ice shuddered, the crack sprang from the deep of boulder. Terekey clogged to corner of stone coffin. Watching around…  
…The ice had been broken from inside, ice drizzle splashed to the jubilant flock of creatures. And the horrible giant dead one appeared from the coffin. Gorizvet is dead too, but he’s whole at last, but this one is rotten to the bone that you can’t tell where is the flap of his frayed robe and where is the flap of his flesh.  
He spread his hand from ice coffin and caught Gorizvet by his throat.  
Creatures froze around.  
Immortal tsar opened his mouth, his wry jaw with a swelled black tongue.  
The dark spirit flowed from out this dead mouth… Dark spirit which was waiting for centuries in four coffins – the last one made of rotten flesh. And now it’s free at last, sliding by the air like pack of black smoke snakes.  
These snakes surround Gorizvet, clench him tight, slide into his eyes, ears, mouth, raising him up from the ice. Gorizvet struggling, trying to break out, but it’s too late.  
Rotten dead giant fell down to ice. Dead as dead. Empty now…  
A moment passed and Gorizvet fell down. He was lying silently for a several sighs and then rose up. He was standing shaky. He was standing on ice and… actually for the first time. He thought a little bit and pushed the giant’s corpse back to the ice coffin.  
He’s turning back to Terekey, he licks his sharp fangs gently.  
“That’s nicely! I’ve never worn clothes like this.”  
Creatures howled cheerfully. And the moor around the palace were howling, every thing which was lurking in the rotten deep set free.  
For a moment Terekey thought it’s just a nightmare... But no. The cold from the coffin is biting his feet through soles.  
And someone who was Gorizvet in coming closer to him. His eyes not crimson anymore, but black. Black tear running from out his left eye, the blackness flowing by his veins: the dark spirit is still growing in the new body.  
“Do not afraid, tugarian tsar!” He began to talk and his voice was gurgling in his throat. “You should be grateful. Now I see all hidden thoughts of this silly prince. Do you know what he wanted to do? He wanted to destroy you and your people, and the Russians then. He thought he will get the power through me! You’ve got stupid interpreters, you know?.. Oh, well, the other were not much better! Do you see that bones on the plates? All of them came to kill me. Every of them became me! No, there were some unfit, worthless heroes. I took their flesh to repair my servants.”  
Immortal tsar is smiling, showing his black gums.  
And Terekey bowing to him.  
“Greetings to you, tsar and god!”  
“Well, that’s a deal! And greetings to you, kind tugarin! You have come to me by your own will and I will help you. And you will help me. I need a stronghold in your world. I will take care of your sorrow people! Our future deeds are really great, Terekey Kalinovich! So let’s not delay! We’re going back!”  
“How?..” That was only word which Terekey could say.  
“Have you forgot where’s out here?! I will remind you! My true servants, show our dear guest where’s out of here!”  
Flock of creatures torn Terekey out of coffins and dragged him to the doors of palace through the dark gallery.  
Terekey see nothing, only hear howling, roaring, only smells. Some creatures smell like dried horse’s meet, some creatures smell like rancid dead man’s flesh.  
On the outside, on the path through the moor Terekey broke out from the paws and claws of the flock and ran to the rocks.  
Then he slipped and began to slide back y o palace. It wasn’t some dark power. The world was turning upside down again.  
Terekey caught the edge of the path, hanged on it.  
All of the creatures standing straightly on their ground, looking to tugarian tsar. Waiting...  
And the other creature rose from the moor, the long creature covered the liquid blackness like a shroud. It opened its scarlet mouth full of sharp teeth. Creature reached out its head with this mouth to Terekey’s hands.  
Terekey unclenched his hands and fell down...

And he fell right to green grass by the Giant’s path, near the hungry idol...

CROSSING

Idol standing with its trap opened. Idol staring to the North. The North is cold, the North is dark.  
The dawn is burning on the East, golden thread outlining the mountains.  
Terekey looked to all of this, but lies still as he covered by wax. He heard someone’s steps. And then he heard the hoofs. Near and at the distance, far and further.  
While he was awake at last, he left alone. The horseman in black caftan cold be hardly seeing on the road.  
Terekey rose from the grass… and something fell out from his pocket.  
Little blushing apple fell out and lied into the grass. Terekey picked it up and put back.  
He caught his horse, swung into the saddle and rode follow.  
He thought: “All right! The sun is rising. You won’t go too far!”  
But the sun had rose, and the horsemen in black caftan is still riding, hardly seeing.  
Whole day had gone in this race without the rest.  
The sun bowed to West and touched the waters of great river ahead. But the black horseman is already on the other shore, just like he jumped over the river.  
Terekey lead his horse in wading. But in the middle of stream the horse shrugged under his master, snored in the last time and fell on his side. Terekey hardly got off a saddle and only saw as his true horse were floating down the river.  
Terekey swam out, went several steps by the ground and, out of power, sank to the grass between hills.  
The darkness fell...

Tugarian tsar woke up at down. He heard the Russian speech over the hill. Women came to the river. Women were doing laundry, splashing, laughing... Alive people over the hill. But no... Tugarian tsar is not able to ask any help from Russian.  
So Terekey rose and quietly went away. He was cold, he was hungry, he was thirsty, his shoes were tight after being in water.  
He took off his shoes, went down the road barefoot. Soon the road vanished into the clear birch forest. Here was the native edge of Gorizvet… Of that one who once was Gorizvet…  
Terekey went deeply, picking up wild strawberries by the way.  
Warm wind were melting through the forest and smell of moor.  
It was the sunset when Terekey came to the moor’s shore. There was the two-trunk-tree, as deer horns, and tsar Kashchei were sitting on the fork.  
“Hello there, tugarian tsar. It’s nice you’ve come. Where is your horse?”  
“My horse is dead.”  
“Why?”  
“He was driven to death.”  
“Why?”  
“I was trying to chase you.”  
“Why?”  
“But why did you escaped?”  
“I didn’t escape. I was hurrying here. Here is the place where my new life began. Here are the gates… Gates are always near to the home of the host.”  
Terekey was looking to the immortal tsar. Immortal tsar was pale. He was pale not as Gorizvet, as the dead man, but as the white stone with the black wires inside.  
“And where is your horse, immortal tsar?”  
“Soon, tugarin. Soon my servants will bring him. The black god needs the equal horse!”  
The moor moved, waved and three heads appeared. The first was almost scull with a thin pale hair and golden crown. Head without a jaw, head with burning eye-holes, head on the long bare spine column which grows into spine of horse. Body of horse was a skeleton covered with glossing grey skin.  
The horse was led on a chain by to creatures…  
Other two heads appeared. The one looks like a jar of wood, the second is the calf’s scull with alive eyes. Two dwarves dressed in rags.  
“My good jesters,” immortal tsar said to the tugarian. “Nice, aren’t they?”  
The dead horse with a scull-head stepped out from the moor and made bow to his master. Dwarves came to the tree.  
Immortal tsar came down, stepped to the jar-like dwarf’s head (dwarf squealed joyfully!) and sat to the horse’s spine. Dwarves gave him a lead-chain, ran to the moor and came back with a scythe hole of iron. Tsar took the scythe easily as a wooden stick.  
“That’s good now! I will welcome my people in this world, but you, tugarian tsar, go to yours. Prepare them. All are ready to ask for a great ancient power, but when it comes… just like naughty brides.”  
“How can I go to my people? My horse is gone.”  
“Don’t be so moody! I will please you, my friend.”  
Immortal tsar waved his hand. Moor bubbled up and the great bird sprang out of it. The bird big as horse with wings wide as pavilion, feathers of iron or of finely chiseled stone. The flap of these wings sounds like thunder.  
The bird sat on a shore and looked to Terekey with its eyes, stone spheres with holes full of crystal ice.  
“Sit, Terekey Kalinovich,” Immortal tsar said. “Don’t be afraid. She’s used to carrying riders. Will bring you right to your palace.”  
The bird spread her wing, Terekey went up, sat on her scruff and held sharp feathers tightly. The bird rose to the sky and caught and lied on the stream of wind.  
All of the World behind. Rivers, forests, valleys, villages... No edge, nor corner to see. Only sun is melting in the mist in a faraway land.  
Terekey trying to look forward and see the Great Steppe, the land of his forefathers. But he can’t see it even from here...  
Soon he saw tugarian camp. It was only the word camp. It grew, become simple town. Pipes are smoking, windows flickering. There is a quiet evening.  
Guards on the palace’s roof alarmed when they saw the big bird. Several arrows blinked off the iron feathers before the bird landed and Terekey got off.  
“What are you, filthy dogs?” he asks. “Didn’t recognize your tsar?”  
Guards fell on their knees.  
“Forgive us, great tsar. We’ve never seen you riding on a great bird!”  
“Look after her, dogs!” Terekey commanded and went away.  
The rumors spread over all palace and camp. Tsar is back, and he brought the great power to save tugarian people from nothingness.  
In a moment all of the nobles, all murzas were in a throne hall with a round hole in a ceiling, an eye to the sky. To the dark sky...  
Terekey sat cross legged on his throne, looked around, took a breath... and felt something little and heavy in his bosom.  
An apple.  
And he recalled Grandmother’s words: “You will eat the pound of salt while you live, Terekey Kalinovich. That what you deserve.”

***  
...Row of them is tearing from the rotten moor. They are going, going, going on...  
Night. They’re going...  
Day. They’re going...  
Monstrous ghouls and ghosts.  
Everyone who spot them is running away as he saw the plague, the death.  
They are death in the flesh, led by their tsar. The Immortal Tsar, the black god.  
Death of deaths.  
Kosh, Koshchei, Kashchei, Karachun, Chernobog...  
Reaper of reapers.  
He’s coming in glory, in his new caftan, he holds his scythe hole of iron. Look all of the people and praise.  
He’s coming...

***  
Day’s passed, night’s gone... Moon is birthing, maturing and decreasing to nothing.  
In the city of Divyi Yar lives young prince Gotizvet. 

He awakes, he washes his face with cold spring water, he dresses up silk clothes...  
He walks by the palace and comes to room full of sunshine. There is his mother princess Jelana, there are his sisters, his old nanny Chernava, his career and mentor Vorotislav.  
Servants bring apples and honey, milk and bread.  
Gorizvet sits at mother’s knees, she brushes his raven-black hair. Mother’s hands are soft, warm, kind...  
Then something zipped into his mind. Light had faded and mother’s hands become cold, strange, unfamiliar...

No. It’s only a nightmare. 

Day’s passed, night’s gone... Moon is birthing, maturing and decreasing to nothing.  
In the city of Divyi Yar lives young prince Gotizvet. 

He awakes... He dreamed and he saw himself on the dead horse with a scythe hole of iron. But he had no will to get off that horse, to drop that scythe. 

No. It’s only a nightmare. 

Day’s passed, night’s gone... Moon is birthing, maturing and decreasing to nothing.  
In the city of Divyi Yar lives young prince Gotizvet.

**Author's Note:**

> ...Actually, it is the story into the story. The part of novel about children of bogatyrs (heroes of Russian legends).  
> This short story about bad guys, yes.  
> The final looks like "to be continued" and it's true. But there is a little problem. I didn't finish the next part even in Russian. I'm writing the next part, I'm writing some kind of prequel, I'm trying to translate some parts at the same time.  
> Story continuous =)


End file.
